World Vision Statement at the 43rd ordinary session of The African Committee Of Experts on The Rights and Welfare of the Child.

World Vision International would like to congratulate the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child for organising its 43RD Ordinary Session in the Kingdom of Lesotho. We are pleased that the Committee of Experts continues to collaborate with partners. With our footprint in 27 countries in Africa, World Vision will continue to support governments implement the Committee’s recommendations to ensure that our continent is fit for children, in line with Agenda 2040.

Our vision for every child – life in all its fullness, inspires and drives us, as an organisation to collaborate with all stakeholders including Faith Based Organisations and Traditional Leaders to support initiatives and interventions towards improving the wellbeing of children, their families, and their societies at large.

Honourable Chair, I would like to crave your indulgence to provide an update, since the 42nd Committee Session in Addis:

• World Vision launched its ambitious ENOUGH Campaign to address child hunger and malnutrition. The continental launch took place in Addis at the margins of the 37th AU Heads of State Summit. Our Campaign is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 2 and supports other African Union frameworks, notably the Africa Regional Nutrition Strategy and the Malabo Declaration. The keynote speaker for the launch was His Majesty, King Letsie III, the AU Nutrition Champion

• The AU theme of this year, provides a platform to engage with the African Union and other stakeholders to increase education outcomes for children. World Vision is supporting initiatives around teacher development, early childhood care & development, education in emergencies, quality school feeding programs and gender responsive education programs in the 27 countries where we work in Africa.
• Hon Chair, Aspiration 10 of the Agenda 2040 recognises the importance of enhancing and promoting the views of African children. In this regard, World Vision supported children to sit on high level panels during COP 28 in Dubai and the AU Humanitarian Symposium. We are pleased to say that voices expressed by children in these spaces, found expression in the outcome documents.

Whilst updating the Committee about World Vision’s assessment of the situation in Africa, we would also like to express the following calls for action, for your consideration and action.

1. It is one year on, and we still have not found a lasting solution to the humanitarian crises in Sudan. Equally concerning are the forgotten crises across the continent such as Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo where WV staff continue to provide humanitarian interventions. We would like to express our unfailing support to children in conflict situations and urge the Committee and other stakeholders to take steps to intervene in these crises.
2. World Vision is equally concerned about the climate induced humanitarian crises across the continent – the recent declaration of states of emergencies in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe are cases in point. We would like to call on Member States to invest in climate smart agriculture to improve food security, since children bear the brunt of these crises.
3. World Vision would like to call on AU Member States to invest in quality home-grown school feeding programs and food systems to address child hunger and malnutrition across the continent.

Hon Chair, World Vision reiterates our commitment to collaborate with the Committee and other stakeholders to make children’s rights a priority. We wish you a successful 43rd Session.

For more information, please contact Samuel Norgah (Director) World Vision AU Liaison Office – Samuel_norgah@wvi.org